Sydney Sweeney's Thriller Outscores Cameron's Avatar Sequel

Hollywood's year-end surprise has arrived in the form of an unlikely critical showdown. Sydney Sweeney's psychological thriller "The Housemaid" has managed to surpass James Cameron's highly anticipated "Avatar: Fire and Ash" in critic scores, despite the sci-fi epic's massive $400 million production budget. Both films hit theaters on December 19, 2025, but their critical reception tells vastly different stories about what resonates with reviewers.

The numbers speak volumes about this unexpected outcome. "The Housemaid" earned an 80% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while Cameron's third Avatar installment secured 70%. This gap represents more than just percentages - it highlights a potential shift in critical preferences toward character-driven narratives over large-scale visual spectacles.

Cameron Defends His Creative Vision

The legendary director hasn't remained silent about criticism surrounding his latest work. Cameron has particularly pushed back against negative reactions to his continued use of high frame rate technology, a controversial choice that sparked debates during "Avatar: The Way of Water." His response to critics was characteristically direct: "I think $2.3 billion (box office) says you might be wrong on that. Well, that's the argument from authority, but the argument from artistic people is 'I happen to like it, and it's my movie'."

Beyond defending specific technical choices, Cameron expressed broader concerns about cinema's current state. He warned about the medium's decline, stating: "There's no way to talk about what audiences want without talking about the decline of cinema. The cinematic experience is being supplanted in our cultural discussion by streaming." The director also reflected on post-pandemic viewing habits, noting: "Covid gave cinema a big kick and people moved to a different way of taking in their storytelling. And so, when people go to a cinema they want something so far outside the norm that it's worth hiring a babysitter for."

Housemaid Takes Different Path from Source Material

While Cameron defends his visual innovations, "The Housemaid" director Paul Feig has generated buzz by confirming his adaptation will deviate from Freida McFadden's bestselling novel. At the Los Angeles premiere, Feig explained his approach to surprising audiences, saying he enjoys screwing "with the audience, in a fun way." He acknowledged the book's popularity while justifying the changes: "It's weird though because the book is out; all you have to do is go to the bookstore and you know the twist but we added a new ending, so the people who love the book you get more."

Feig elaborated on why alterations were necessary for the screen adaptation: "There's things that work in the book that are really satisfying, but on the big screen you always want more. No spoilers, but there are relationships I wanted to have a final button on and so we were able to do that." Sydney Sweeney emphasized her commitment to honoring the source material while embracing necessary changes: "I'm a huge book lover and I read books religiously, so whenever I see a book adaptations on film, you compare. So there were different things that of course we wanted to take from the book and then there were different aspects that Paul wanted to change… But everything else I wanted to really stay true to the book."